Hampshire's Air Ambulance celebrates 15th year of flying
They've responded to over 15,000 emergencies in that time
Last updated 1st Jul 2022
Today (Friday 1st July) marks the 15th anniversary of the first ever flight by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.
Paramedics took to the skies on the 1st July 2007 and since then have done over 15,000 more trips.
The charity's Critical Care Team respond to an average of four calls a day, providing life saving care on board the helicopter.
One of those 15,000 patients was 32-year-old Claire Danson.
With a dream of becoming a professional triathlete, while out on a routine cycle ride, Claire collided with a tractor, leaving her paralysed from the waist down.
The air ambulance team attended and provided Claire with specialist treatment before flying her to hospital.
Claire said:
“You effectively wake up one day and your body is completely different to how you've ever known it. That can make you feel quite differently about yourself.
“I had limited knowledge of the air ambulance before my accident, but me and my family know that I wouldn't be alive today without them.”
WATCH:
It costs the service, which receives no government funding, an average of £3,320 for every emergency mission.
One of the longest serving members of staff there, Dr David Sutton, has seen almost every injury and illness imaginable, including performing open heart surgery in a patient’s house:
“The patient had been stabbed in the left side of his heart. My paramedic colleague, Mike, and I simultaneously opened the casualty's chest on the landing of the house, exposed the heart, emptied the sack around the heart full of blood and found a single hole in the left ventricle. I then blocked the hole whilst Mike transfused blood.”
Dr Sutton is now hanging up his flight suit, but he has thanked the public for their support and generosity during his time:
“Quite simply, we would not have the service we do without the amazing support we have had from the public. Thanks to everyone over the years who has played their part.”
A SLIGHT DROP IN DONATIONS
The last few years have been a challenging one for HIOWAA, like most other charities.
Now due to the rise in the cost of living, the charity say they have started to see a slight drop in their donations.
CEO Richard Corbett told us:
"We have seen a slight early drop, at the moment it's not significant but we're clearly aware of the challenges that people are facing and for us I think it's really important that people are giving to us when they are able to and really for now if people feel like they can't support the organisation financially, support us by reading our emails, finding out about the organisation, hearing about the patients stories and then maybe one day when things are a little better people will be able to support us financially."